


Lady Killer

by arkemisia



Series: Past Enduring [3]
Category: Borderlands
Genre: AU, F/M, I Don't Even Know, One Shot, Post-Game, Spin Off, does stacey count as an OC? she was mentioned in the game but only in passing..., i don't think so but idk, kinda smutty?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 17:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6619423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arkemisia/pseuds/arkemisia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little spin-off mini-sequel to <i>Revolver Reloaded</i>.</p><p>After the dust of the wreckage and the Vault has settled, she sets her sights on a new target and Rhys is not about to let August be fooled like he was.</p><p>Edit: there are a few continuity errors since this/<i>Revolver Reloaded</i> and <i>Something Strange</i> weren't originally a part of the same series, but they are now. Might go back and fix later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lady Killer

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after the events of _Revolver Reloaded_ but doesn't contain any spoilers that I can think of... other than she survives? So there's that. Spoiler alert.

With an arched eyebrow, August let Rhys pull him aside.

“Listen… buddy…” Rhys started.

“Oh, we’re friends now?” August asked, mildly amused, but frank. Rhys rubbed the back of his neck.

“Okay, August, I know we… haven’t always exactly been on the same side, and I want  you to know there’re no hard feelings,” Rhys said quickly but August crossed his arms.

“Right, no hard feelings. Until you started dating Sasha. That,” he said with a tilt of his head, “was a bit of a dick move.”

“I-I know,” Rhys agreed. “I get that you’re mad at me for that but I think you’re a pretty cool guy, and I don't want you to get hurt, and I just…” he trailed off, running a hand through his hair and groaning.

“Wait, are you hitting on me?”

“What? No,” Rhys quickly replied.

“Okay, ‘cause sometimes it’s hard to tell with you Hyperion types.”

“I get it.”

“Can’t tell if you’re groveling, flirting, or threatening,” August said, waving a hand idly.

“I get it,” Rhys repeated flatly with a pout.

“Was that, like, a requirement during the application process? That you always talk the same super fake friendly way?”

“I get it! Okay!” Rhys practically shouted before laughing awkwardly. “Listen, I just... want to tell you to watch out for Stacey, okay?” he said with a heavy exhale. August regarded him suspiciously.

“And you’re telling me this why?”

“Well, I tried to tell you why but then you thought I was hitting on-”

“No, I mean why now? Why do you think you need to tell me this now? I've been delivering shit to her for the past couple weeks and there's been no problem.”

“Because I’ve seen the way she looks at you; I recognize the evil little cogs turning in her brain. She recognizes you as a man of power, a bandit leader, a _kingpin_ even since your mother… passed…” Rhys trailed off with a cough, wilting under August’s glare before continuing. “She thinks she can use you and is going to try and seduce you,” Rhys reported and took a breath. “And it’s just… after the whole deal with Sasha and the fake key and…everything, I just… don’t fall for it.”

“Right, and you’re not telling me this because you’re _her_ ex and don’t want me to get with her? You’ve already got Sasha, man, what's in it for you?” August asked calmly, leaning the tiniest bit forward. Rhys slapped a hand to his forehead.

“Because I’m trying to be nice, my god! Why does no one ever trust me?” he cried, at which August stared at him pointedly with a smirk and Rhys sighed. “Don’t answer that. Listen, ask Vaughn or Yvette; they’ll back me up on this. And if you don’t believe them either, ask if, ask if sex was ever used as a method of manipulation on Helios. Ask anybody. They’ll tell you it was almost as common as finger gun battles.”

“...Finger gun battles?” August asked, but Rhys just glared. “You people are so weird, you know that right?” Rhys pinched the bridge of his nose.

“So I’ve been told.”

“Alright, so, this Stacey, your ex, is a scheming, power hungry Hyperion lady and you think she’s gonna try and seduce and use me next?”

“Yes, that’s pretty much it,” Rhys replied.

“Got it,” August said simply as he leaned against the wall, arms still crossed. Rhys stared.

“Got it?” Rhys repeated.

“Got it,” August replied, unmoving.

“Okay uh, great,” Rhys said, clapping his hands together and laughing. “Uh, good talk,” he said, turning to leave.

“Hey,” August called and Rhys paused in his retreat. “Thanks, I guess,” he said. Momentarily frozen in surprise, a grin eventually crawled across Rhys’ face.

“No problem, buddy.”

  


Sometime later in the darkened armory, the petite blonde kissed August with surprising ferocity. There'd been little preamble after he'd entered the room - noting the retractable metal slatted sheet was extended and blocking out the light from the central hub. Surely they'd exchanged words, a touch of the hand, a brushing of the shoulder, and suddenly he'd found her against his chest, looking up to him with half lidded eyes and parted lips.

And so he bent down and Stacey surged up on her toes and kissed him. She threw her arms around his neck and he threaded his around her waist. She stepped backwards, steering them across the room until they came up against the workbench, her back hitting it and driving the breath out of her for a moment.

“Give me a hand?” she asked, craning her neck to look up at him. With his hands on her hips, she hopped up a little and he helped her onto the surface. She caught her lips with his, no longer having to tilt her head so far, and she slid her hand across his shoulders. She let out a pleasant hum as he situated himself between her legs and moved his lips from hers, to her cheek.

His hands moved from her hips to slip under the hem of her tattered blouse and she drew her hands down his sides to reach around, pressing him closer. He removed his hands then too, reaching behind himself to grab her wrists and bring them forward.

He descended upon her then, pinning her hands above her head against the workbench as he left open mouth kisses against her neck. Stacey sighed with a smile and bucked against him, hooking a foot around the back of his legs.

He shifted forward, dragging along her body and pressing her harder against the bench before stopping when they were nose to nose. She tried to catch him in a kiss but he tilted his head back just out of her reach, before coming back down when she'd settled back with a huff.

“Gotta admit,” he said, his voice low and clear, “I'm surprised a high class lady such as yourself would so suddenly be interested in me. What's your game?” She wriggled a little against him, flexing her fingers as she smiled.

“Please, I can hardly be considered high class anymore in my current state,” she said, running her dirty thumbnails over the others, almost unconsciously. “You should've seen me on Helios. When I had hair.”

“You have hair,” he said, tilting his head at her short cut.

“ _More_ hair, then. Styled, conditioned hair,” she said. “I was goddamn gorgeous,” she sighed almost angrily. He arched an eyebrow but didn't rise to the bait.

“You didn't answer my question though,” he goaded and she stared at him for a moment.

“You're dangerous. Confident. Smart. And goddamn sexy. Can't blame a girl for being interested,” she said, dropping her gaze to his lips.

“Yea?” He asked, “that sounds nice,” he said looking to the side.

“Yea,” she said, arching her back and squeezing his hips with her thighs. “So are you just gonna hold me here or are we gonna do this?” She asked and he trained his piercing eyes back on her face.

“Yea, see I had a little chat. With our mutual  friend Rhys,” he revealed and she immediately slumped with a groan, her legs dropping against the side of the bench with a thump.

“ _Why_ are you bringing _him_ up? I don't want to talk about my ex, I want you to kiss me!” She protested, trying to reach him again but he held her down tight.

“Right, because he said you were gonna try and get in my pants and then use that as some sort of leverage, to gain power or status or some crap,” he said and she drew her lips together tight and furrowed her brow. “And sure enough, you go all sex kitten on me, don't think I didn't notice you trying to be all subtle. You practically jumped me as soon as I took the bait. What's up with that?” He asked.

After a long moment where she said nothing, he continued.

“Okay, let me: you could say it's because he's your ex, right? He's jealous. Except he's got _my_ ex and from the little display you two put on a while ago? I don't think he's interested in the least anymore in you. You could say it's him trying to screw me over: first he steals my girl, then sabotages me getting with you. ‘Cept, I don't think that's it either,” he said, studying her closely as he hovered above her. She was positively glaring now. “I think he's tellin’ the truth.”

“Well,” she finally said with an exasperated sigh. “Damn. You got me. Bravo,” she said with a bright smile, completely still now. Her eyes glinted as sharp as daggers and her soft features suddenly seemed positively made out of stone, the smile so perfect it looked like it might crack. “So what now, mister big bad bandit? Gonna go high five your buddy and laugh about me?” She asked and he let out a single laugh.

“Oh no, I just wanted you to know that I know your game,” he said easily, leaving her blinking in surprise for a moment. “So it won't work on me. No hard feelings though, so,” he stated with a small shrug and a pause. He released her hands, and stuffed his own in his pockets, straightening up. “Still interested?” He finally asked and she stared open mouthed for a moment before exhaling and sitting back up .

“Oh what the hell,” she breathed, “yea,” she answered and grabbed his face with both hands and brought him crashing back down atop her with a kiss.  
  


The next morning Stacey approached Rhys and Sasha as they ate breakfast in the makeshift cafeteria in the hub of heroism. Rhys nearly choked when he noticed her making a beeline in his direction; Sasha absent mindedly thumped him on the back as she went about her plate. She didn't even look up until the blonde former weapons researcher stopped at their table, leaning over it to address them.

“Hey, Rhysie honey, I just want to say thanks for the pep talk yesterday,” Stacey said.

“ _Rhysie honey?”_ Sasha echoed with an arched eyebrow and a laugh. “That is a terrible nickname,” she practically cackled.

“I-I don't know what you're -” he stuttered. Stacey straightened up, smiling.

“I feel so much better now,” she said earnestly, or as earnestly as any Hyperion player could ever say, before heaving a happy sigh, and leaving.

“I didn't even see you yesterday???” Rhys yelled at her back.

“She's toying with you again, Rhys,” Sasha said, returning her attention to her plate.

“I-I know, okay, I just don't get-” Rhys said, abruptly stopping when he saw Stacey stop August in the walkway with a soft touch on the shoulder. August must have felt his gaze, for he looked up, over Stacey’s shoulder, and winked. “Oh, oh no,” he sighed. “Oh. My god. You've got to be kidding me,” he groaned.

“What?” Sasha asked.

“I think our exes had sex,” Rhys replied lamely, and her fork froze mid-movement. She looked up and follow Rhys’ eyes to the other pair.

“Huh,” she remarked. “Isn't your ex kinda crazy though?”

“She is! I told him that. I _told_ him she was gonna try and seduce him,” Rhys exclaimed, waving wildly in frustration.

“Maybe she didn't seduce him then,” Sasha said with a shrug. “If he went in there armed with the knowledge, I'm sure he'll be fine. He’s a grown man; he can look after himself.”

Rhys looked from her to the far away couple of exes and back.

“It-that has nothing to do with it. _I'm_ a grown man; I can take care of myself. She still almost killed me! She's dangerous,” he said and she settled him with an amused smile but said nothing. “Besides,” he said, “ _we_ haven't even had sex yet!” Her eyebrows rose higher as her smile hitched up more as well.

“That’s what's got your socks in a twist?” She asked and Rhys rubbed the back of his neck.

“Do you need coffee? I think I need more coffee,” he said, standing abruptly. She laughed and shook her head.

“No, I'm good,” she said. “And Rhys,” she called after him and he turned back around. “Maybe you just need to seduce me a little harder,” she suggested and he just stood there for a moment, as if processing the information.

“Oh,” he exclaimed. Then his brows settled lower and he smirked as he slid onto the bench next to her, his elbows on the table as he leaned into her. “Oh really?” he asked with a suavely quirked eyebrow, his voice pitched lower, and Sasha snorted laughter into her breakfast.

**Author's Note:**

> IDK, man. I don't even know why I wrote, much less posted, this. But apparently something in me told me I needed to. (Mostly the fact that I wanted to get it out of my WIP folder since I'm done with it...).
> 
> It's one of those brain-worms that just wouldn't be told to shut up. Apologies for any typos or inconsistent capitalization or spelling... I tried to go back and proof read but it's all on my phone so that gets... annoying and it's easy to mess up. And I don't want to bother my betas with this randomness. Haha. 
> 
> Sorry?


End file.
